The Time Eleven Enters Womanhood
by saturnwolfhard
Summary: "Holy Shit El! What happened?" Dustin exclaimed upon examining El. This caught the other boys attention who all saw the blood. "El what happened?" Will was then at El's other side trying to think of what to do. "I don't know what happened Will, one minute El's stomach hurt and now she's bleeding! What do we do?" Mike was growing more and more scared by the second.


It had been over a year since El had returned to Hawkins. Since her return El has experienced many things; learning to ride a bike, which left her with more than a scrape, baking ("El, look out for the flour!"), pancakes (which aren't as good as eggos), shaving, which also left her with a few cuts, painting, pillow fights and braiding hair, all thanks to Nancy (and Mike for letting El practice on him).

She's also had learned countless other things, but El did not expect today to be a day of experiencing something new.

Hopper and Joyce have been together since Will's return. They have helped and understood each other in ways others couldn't quite understand.

They finally moved in together in the spring of 1984, and after El's return in the fall, they felt it only fit to have El live with them and claim her as their own. El Hopper-Byers.

El's day had started out fairly ordinary. She woke up, ate breakfast with her family and after saying goodbye to Johnathan and Will, El started her school work.

She has been trying to catch up since her return and although El didn't understand everyday phrases and some objects, El was very bright.

She excelled in many school subjects and both Hopper and Joyce felt El could start school the following year.

Around ten Joyce had to leave for work so El went with Hop to his work so she wouldn't be home alone.

El enjoyed going to work with the chief since she loved both Flo and spinning in Hopper's desk chair.

The first time she had gone with the chief, Hopper had offered to spin El to get her engaged. A few spins later El ended up flying off the chair and had a bruise on her knee.

El stayed away from the swivel chair for a few weeks until one afternoon after school. Mike and Will had gone with Jonathan to pick up El and Mike offered to spin El.

She was very hesitant after her first encounter but eventually agreed if Mike went on with her.

Seeing as the chair was on the wider side and they were rather slim, Mike and El fit seating side by side. Jonathan started to spin them and Will helped them go even faster.

El squeezed Mike's hand when she felt the leathery chair wobble but Mike put his foot out to balance them.

El was reminded of the time Mike had shown her his dad's Laz E Boy and ever since then, El loved Hopper's chair.

Around three Jonathan came to pick El up, but rather than take her back home, Jonathan had promised Will and his friends to take them to the arcade.

It was Friday so the boys' parents agreed they could go and sleep over at Will's after. In a car full of teenagers things were bound to get hectic.

El sat in between Will and Jonathan up front while the three other boys sat in the back.

Dustin moved, which ended with accidentally elbowing Lucas, who then freaked out and smacked Mike in the face, which soon turned to a full blown argument. Needless to say, Jonathan hated driving them.

As soon as Jonathan pulled up to the arcade the boys went dashing out, Dustin, Will and Lucas raced to the door while Mike waited for El to get out and walk inside with her.

Since El's disappearance, Mike has made sure to spend every moment he had with El.

Not necessarily _with her_ but being in her presence was something Mike basked in.

He loved his friends but his love for El was different.

Something Mike had never experienced. His love for her felt new and exciting.

Every time they touched or looked at one another Mike felt warm inside, his stomach turns mushy and heart feels fluttery. It was a feeling Mike couldn't get enough of.

So, naturally Mike always wanted to be with El. He friends teased him about it, Lucas made kissing noises and Dustin made comments about Mikes flushed face.

Will tried to stay out of it, not wanted to make his new sister uncomfortable. Mike knew they meant well but he hated their taunts.

Now, Mike learned to be discrete, like waiting for El just to see her smile and hold her hand while they walk places, or sit next to her during their D&D sessions.

This way Mike would stopped getting teased by his friends but still make sure El knew Mike loved her. Even though Mike has yet to admit his love.

Once they were all inside and Jonathan had left the parking lot, the boys all split up to play their respective games.

Dustin loved playing Dragon's Lair, Lucas was determined to beat the high score on Dig-dug while Will played Pac-man .

El enjoyed watching and taking turns with Mike playing games like Defender, Tetris, Robotron: 2084 and Ms. Pac-Man. Lucas and Mike would also fight on who got to play Star Wars first.

After about half an hour at the arcade El felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen.

El ignored it, she'd experienced stomach aches before but never this intense.

El doubled over for a second, holding her stomach while Mike was focused on Tetris, he saw El move in the corner of his eye and turned to her, when he saw that she was holding her stomach Mike began to worry,

"El? Are you okay?" his focus was no longer on the game but on the wellbeing of his friend? girlfriend?

Mike didn't know what to label her as. To him she was just El. He never needed to label her.

El looked up at Mike, worry knitted in his face. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just a stomach ache I think" El responded.

"You sure? You look kinda pale, we can sit down if you want," Mike suggested.

El was about to protest when a new wave of pain rolled in. This time it felt sharper.

El reluctantly nodded her head and the two went to sit on the bench towards the front of the arcade.

Mike rubbed soothing circles and patterns on El's back.

"Did you eat something bad? Maybe something past due date?" Mike questioned.

El though for a moment, she had eaten eggs in the morning and for lunch she ate mac and cheese, which she had eaten before.

"No, everything I've had I've tried before. Plus if something was expired I think I might've noticed."

"Hmmm.. Well I'm sorry El. We can walk back to your house since we don't have our bikes and your brothers not coming to pick us up till five and its not even four and I don't want you to suffer" Mike went off

"No it's okay. We should just keep playing games. I'm sure if I keep playing I'll forget I'm even in pain" El gave make a reassuring smile.

Mike was hesitant but eventually stood up from the bench and then turned to help El, he could still tell she was in pain but El is as stubborn as stubborn gets.

She was hard driven and if it didn't put El in pain or danger it was something Mike admired. Today was not that case.

15 minutes had gone by, Mike and El played a few games but El couldn't forget the agonizing throb in her stomach. El had decided to move onto a new game rather than watch Mike.

She started up donkey kong and just as she moved onto a second level Mike had gone up to her and asked her in a mortified voice why she was bleeding.

Immediately El's hand reached up to her nose. When she looked at her fingers no blood had come.

El gave Mike a confused look and Mike pointed to her behind. El looked back but couldn't see her bottom behind of her overalls so El looked down at her front lower half only to see a dark red stain between her thighs.

El let out a shaky breath and looked at Mike only to hold an equally mortified expression.

"I don't remember hurting myself today" El explained, talking to herself more than Mike.

"Well what should we do? Does it hurt? Maybe that why your stomach hurt" Mike suggested.

He then went to El's said and put his arm around her. "Guys come here" Mike had whisper yelled.

Since the arcade was small the boys found Mike and El fairly quickly. "Holy Shit El! What happened?" Dustin exclaimed upon examining El.

This caught the other boys attention who all saw the blood.

"El what happened?" Will was then at El's other side trying to think of what to do.

"I don't know what happened Will, one minute El's stomach hurt and now she's bleeding! What do we do?" Mike was growing more and more scared by the second.

What if it's because of the upside down? Mike thought. His mind kept thinking of worse and worse scenarios. Lucas and Dustin weren't much help either.

"What if El's appendix burst?" "What if El's internally bleeding?" "What if her intestines fell out!"

"STOP!" Mike yelled "You guys are scaring her!" Mike defended El who was now breathing hard, tears falling down her cheeks. The boys immediately stopped talking

Mike wiped the tears off and hugged El from the side, "Don't worry El, you'll be okay" Mike gave her a reassuring smile and then told the group that they should grab an employee and tell them to call an ambulance.

The three boys ran to the counter and rang the service bell repeatedly until a lady in her 20's walked out, she had brown straight hair, a blue polo shirt polo her name tag that read "Hannah" with black jeans with rounded glasses.

"What?!" Hannah had asked, clearly annoyed three boys had rang the service bell. "This better be good." She mumbled under her breath

"OUR FRIEND IS DYING" "We need your help our friend is bleeding" "You NEED to call 911 NOW! Our friends appendix fell out!" The boys were talking over one another

"OKAY! One at a damn time!" Hannah was beginning to grow worried if she heard some of the boys correctly.

Will then spoke, "My sister, she's been having stomach pains and now she's bleeding and we think its something bad and we were hoping you could call the ambulance.."

Hannah was taken back. Nothing like this ever happened. Especially not in Hawkins.

"Okay, well first show me your friend." The boys nodded frantically and lead her to where El was standing with Mike, head leaning on his shoulder while Mike comforted her.

Hannah approached the girl, "Hey sweetie, I need you to tell me what happened? Can you tell me what happened?"

Hannah crouched a bit to get to El's eye level. El let out a whimper. She was wearing Mikes jacket around her waist to cover the blood stain, too embarrassed to show anyone else.

"It hurts," El pointed to her lower abdomen and between her thighs and then removed the jacket to reveal the blood spot. Hannah then asked El how old she was

"Thirteen," El said shyly. Hannah then asked El if the pain was sharp, If she had a headache, any food cravings and if she's had any mood swings.

El told hannah that she eggs this morning even though El never really liked them that much. She also told her how a few days ago El had felt snappy at her family members.

Hannah nodded and asked El she could give Hannah her moms phone number.

El turned to Will, still not knowing anyone's number but the Wheelers. Hannah had gone to call Joyce and Mike turned to El, "Maybe she knows what you have or why your um bleeding" Mike said sheepishly.

El just pushed her face in the crook of Mike neck. It was warm and smelled like Vanilla and coconut shampoo. El felt safe in Mikes arms.

The boys were chattering in whispers, not wanting to worry El till Hannah returned

.

"Your moms coming sweetheart. Can you come with me for a second?" Hannah seemed nice but El didn't like going alone with strangers so she held Mikes hand and looked at the floor. Hannah chuckled,

"He can come too" El nodded and she and Mike made there way to the front of the arcade with Hannah. "El was it? Do you know what periods are?" El shook her head no while Mikes face went pale.

"Well i'm sure your mom will explain but don't worry. You're not dying, every woman has one and it's totally normal" Hannah reassured El.

Mike eyes went wide, of course! How could Mike have been so stupid! He learned about periods and puberty in his health class last year.

He was mortified but the instructor said it was normal and natural and how he shouldn't be afraid or grossed out. Mike wanted to help El so he smiled at her and gave her a quick side hug,

"You'll be okay" He whispered just loud enough for El to hear. El smiled, Mike always knew how to calm her down and make her feel safe.

Later that night Joyce explained how girls become women and how El was maturing.

El felt silly to think she was dying and once Mike told the guys what had happened they felt awful for scaring her.

That night they went to the store while Joyce talked to El and bought chocolate, ice cream and lots and lots of eggos.


End file.
